Tag Archive | "Vol 33 No 15 | April 5 – April 11"

In December, Gov. Jay Inslee appointed John Chun to the King County Superior Court bench. Prior to his appointment, Chun was a member of the Summit Law Group, where he focused on employment, commercial, and international cases. Read the full story

The Seattle and King County Health & Safety Fair was held on March 8 at the International District Community Center. There was free healthcare enrollment, activities for kids, gifts, raffles, and refreshments. Read the full story

First Transit, a bus transportation provider, has appointed Sharad Agarwal as vice president of its national call centers. Agarwal has more than 10 years of transportation experience, including spending the past year as First Transit director of business development focusing on the western region. In addition to call centers, the company also offers para-transit services, shuttle buses, and bus inspection.

The National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP) Seattle hosted 105 people at a “Diversity Career Mixer” at O’Asian Kitchen in Seattle on March 13. Attendees networked with recruiters from Microsoft, Verizon, and Puget Sound Energy, among others. The event featured keynote speaker Paul Anderson of Prolango Consulting. (end)

Bank of the West, which opened its doors last October, held a grand opening on March 18 at its location on Second Avenue in Seattle. About 110 people came, including senior bank officials, community members, and business clients, to mingle and hear a keynote speech by economist Scott A. Anderson. (end)

Frances Kakugawa was only 5 years old when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941. Despite still being quite young, she quickly learned what that meant for her and her Japanese American family living in the village of Kapoho on Hawaii’s Big Island. Her family was loyal to the United States, but they still had roots in Japan and were forced to get rid of almost all evidence of these roots during World War II.

This is just one of many stories Kakugawa shares in “Kapoho.” The book is about her life growing up in a small plantation village in Hawaii. She also shares how she worked hard to speak like a “haole,” or a white person, in an effort to realize her dream of becoming a writer and poet, as well as the special relationship she shared with her mother throughout her life.

Kakugawa’s memoir is a collection of vignettes, showing readers little snapshots of her life from childhood to adulthood. She didn’t have it easy. Her family was far from wealthy, and being Japanese during the war was more than a little difficult. But despite those difficult times, Kakugawa has fond memories of befriending American soldiers, as they stood guard throughout Kapoho, and of working as a maid for a white family to pay her way through college. She does not dwell on the bad parts. Instead, she focuses on the bright spots during the dark periods, reminding readers that even in the worst of times, there will always be a reason to smile.

Throughout her stories, Kakugawa also gives us a glimpse into the simplicity of island life during that time. From lighting a fire to heat up the bathwater to not having to wear shoes to primary school, Kakugawa shares details that may seem minor, but paint a full picture of what it was like to grow up in Hawaii.

Fresh off the BoatBy Eddie HuangSpiegel & Grau Trade Paperbacks, 2013

Eddie Huang generally doesn’t have a problem expressing his feelings. If something makes him happy, he’ll let you know. If something makes him sad, he’ll let you know. If something makes him mad, he’ll let you know. If you make him mad, he’ll definitely let you know — most likely, violently.

“Fresh off the Boat” tells Huang’s life story, beginning with his happy childhood in the DMV area (D.C., Maryland and Virginia), surrounded by family and friends. But everything changes when his family moves to Orlando and Huang finds himself navigating his way through middle school and high school as a Taiwanese kid in a predominantly white community. Filled with ups and downs — and a few detours and U-turns along the way — Huang shares how he came to be where he is today. He is the owner of his own restaurant, making it in New York.

Despite all the hi-jinks that ensue from his act-first-think-later approach to life and his comic delivery, underneath it all, he is an angry and lost young man trying to figure out where he fits in the world. He doesn’t hold back, showing what it was like to be raised by abusive parents he could never please, to be enrolled in the gifted class while not even caring about school, and to be a kid who was never white enough for his peers and not Asian enough for his family.

Amidst this pain and chaos, Huang also shares with readers his two great loves — the two things that always spoke to him — food and hip hop. From offering tips on how to make the best Taiwanese beef noodle soup to sharing rap lyrics that reflect any given moment of his life, it is clear that these were the most influential aspects of Huang’s life outside of his family. We’re reminded that no matter how confusing or painful life can get, sometimes something as simple as enjoying a good meal or listening to a good song is enough let us know things could be worse.

Growing up in Los Angeles in a Korean immigrant family in the 1970s and 1980s, Roy Choi saw his share of ups and downs. His family ran a number of successful — then failing — businesses, including a liquor store, jewelry store, and Korean restaurant.

As a result, Choi knew what it was like to have money and to not have money.

He watched his parents work hard at whatever venture they pursued. He took this work ethic and applied it to his own life, but not always in the most productive ways. He struggled in school, did drugs for some time, and developed a gambling habit. Choi hit rock bottom more than once, but that rarely stopped him. He was driven, but whether it was toward destruction or toward success, it was hard to tell. It was this drive and a penchant for wanting to do things his own way that led Choi to come up with the Korean taco and change the face of street food.

His struggles show readers that life is never easy and sometimes things have to get worse — in some cases, much worse — before they can get better. But Choi kept at it and persevered, showing us that the struggle is worth it.

Throughout Choi’s story are recipes, including Korean dishes straight from his family’s kitchen, as well as American classics and traditional dishes from other cultures. These recipes reflect not only Choi’s heritage, but also that of Los Angeles, where different cultures meet to make up the City of Angels.

In addition to Choi’s story and the recipes, the book is filled with photos. From the various dishes to shots of different parts of Los Angeles, these photos help paint the picture of Choi’s life and show readers exactly what it is about L.A. that is so great. (end)

Without action soon, King County Metro will cut 17 percent of its transit service, with the first cuts taking place as early as June of this year. As many as 74 routes, including routes critical to the mobility of Asian Pacific American communities, are slated to be completely eliminated. Another 107 routes will be restructured or reduced. Read the full story

In February, President Obama launched his My Brother’s Keeper Initiative to expand opportunity for all young men and boys of color. This initiative builds upon collaboration between leading foundations and businesses to ensure that all young men and boys are able to achieve their full potential, regardless of their background. Read the full story

Eric Liu’s recent commentary in your paper (originally appearing on CNN) titled “China’s Awkward Banana Slip,” referencing China’s view that Gary Locke is a “banana,” is written from a viewpoint of political correctness, but with somewhat sensationalistic undertones. My position is that we should take a more balanced view of this particular comment that was made in an editorial in China’s state media. Read the full story

The following letter to King 5 News was sent to the NW Asian Weekly for publication.

Dear Editor,

I saw a story on your 6 p.m. news clip last night reported by Lynda Byron on the mayor’s minimum wage symposium that was very biased and wrong. In the news clip, Ms. Byron interviewed and reported that the symposium attendees consisted of all supporters for the minimum wage increase and there was only one lone person attending that was opposed. Read the full story

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin accepting H-1B petitions subject to the fiscal year (FY) 2015 cap on April 1. Cases will be considered accepted on the date that USCIS receives a properly filed petition with the correct fee. Read the full story

Help preserve individual Seattle landmarks and contributing buildings with a “Landmarks Capital” grant from 4Culture. Any type of ownership, whether private, public, or nonprofit, qualifies. The grants range from $3,000 to $30,000. Read the full story

The Turkish American Cultural Association of Washington will partner with the Seattle Center to bring the fifth annual International Children’s Friendship Festival to Seattle on April 12 and 13, from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on both days. Read the full story

Two suspects arrested by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement made their initial appearance March 27 in Seattle federal court on charges they conspired to distribute more than 60 pounds of cocaine. Read the full story

Philippine Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. announced the search for the third batch of outstanding young Filipino Americans to be groomed as leaders of their communities and partners in advancing interests of Filipino Americans. Read the full story

On March 25, the President signed into law H.R. 3771, the “Philippines Charitable Giving Assistance Act,” which allows taxpayers to accelerate the income tax benefits for certain charitable cash contributions, made before April 15, for the relief of victims in areas affected by Typhoon Haiyan. (end)

The Chinatown-International District will receive a lion’s share of a $2 million investment in 18 neighborhood business districts, announced Mayor Ed Murray on April 1, as part of the Only in Seattle Initiative. Read the full story